|
|
Saturday, June 28, 2008
|
|
A Minnesota tradition & a Minnesota original
Outdoors Editor ITASCA STATE PARK - One by one, or sometimes as a group, they posed next to the sturdy wooden post.
Most smiled faintly but didn't speak, as if this were a sacred place. Not far away, at the water's edge, the sound of children's laughter rose from the slippery rocks.
This is, after all, a family place.
There is much more to Itasca State Park than the famed Mississippi headwaters. But this is the park's face, slightly weathered after 117 years, but in a good way - full of character. And possibilities.
Established in 1891, Itasca's past is on display at every turn in the sprawling
park, which totals more than 32,000 acres - second to St. Croix's 33,000-plus acres among Minnesota state parks - and includes more than 100 lakes.
So, too, is the present on display. Itasca features 16 miles of fairly new, paved bike trails, the newish Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center, several gift shops and eateries and Itasca Suites, which offers modern year-round lodging.
In 2007, Itasca had 490,000 visitors, third behind Fort Snelling (782,000) and Gooseberry Falls (562,000) among Minnesota state parks, according to the DNR.
So why do they come to this out-of-the-way place about 20 miles north of Park Rapids?
"Here, 1,475 feet above the ocean, the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico."
Many have posed alongside the wooden sign etched with these words that rises from the banks of the headwaters.
|
If you go
What: Itasca State Park.
Where: About 20 miles north of Park Rapids.
Directions: From Brainerd, take Highway 371 north for about 65 miles. Turn left onto Highway 200, following for about 30 miles to the park's east entrance.
Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.
Permits: Daily, $5 per vehicle; daily group (minimum 10 vehicles), $3; annual, $25; motorcycle, $20; second permit, $18; disabled persons, $12.
Address: 36750 Main Park Drive, Park Rapids, MN 56470
Telephone/fax: (218) 266-2100/(218) 266-3942.
E-mail: itasca.park@dnr.state.mn.us.
Web site: www.dnr.state.mn.us/ state_parks/itasca/ index.html
|
"It's the headwaters that gets people there the first time and everything else that keeps them coming back," said Mike Kovacovich, who for 17 years - from fall of 1989 to August 2006 - served as manager at Itasca before taking his current job as DNR regional park manager for the northwest region. There are likely few who know the grand, old park better.
"There are so many other resources," he added of Minnesota's oldest state park. "Most people come back. It has a high percentage of return visitors."
For good reason. Or reasons:
¥ Hiking/biking: There are 33 miles of hiking trails, including 3.25 miles of self-guided trails and 1.5 miles of handicapped-accessible trails and 16 miles of paved bike trails, running from historic Douglas Lodge to the headwaters area and on to the Wilderness Trail loop, which is shared with motorists. Itasca Sports Rental, located just off the bike trail, offers a wide variety of bicycle rentals. Hiking trails of note include the Landmark Interpretive Trail, Blowdown Trail, Dr. Roberts Self-Guided Nature Trail, Maadaadizi Trail and the Bohall Wilderness Trail.
In the winter, there are more than 30 miles of groomed cross country skiing and snowmobile trails. The park maintains 3 miles of designated trails for snowshoeing, but it is permitted anywhere in the park - except on groomed trails. Dog sledding is allowed on lake and snowmobile trails.
¥ Fishing/boating: At 1,077 acres, Lake Itasca is by far the largest lake in the park. In a 2005 DNR survey, yellow perch were the most prominent fish in Itasca, followed by bluegill, northern pike and walleye. Lake Ozawindib is known for bass and panfish, Elk Lake has walleye, northern pike and muskie and Mary Lake and several hike-in lakes also are fishable. A fish cleaning house is located near the main boat ramp, not far from Itasca Sports Rental, which rents canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, motor boats, pontoons, trolling motors, fishing gear and bait. Boat accesses can be found on Itasca, Ozawindib, Elk and Mary.
Also, Coborn's Lake Itasca Tours offer a narrated two-hour cruise aboard the "Chester Charles II," a 141-passenger, three-deck boat, from Douglas Lodge pier to the headwaters.
¥ Other recreation/activities: There is a picnic area on Lake Itasca, a picnic shelter, a playground, a swimming beach and volleyball court. The park also is popular among bird-watchers. In the winter, a warming house is located in the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center.
¥ Events: During the summer, there's Fish Day, Itasca Mysteries in History, Wednesday History Walks, Bug Day, A Taste of Itasca, Itasca's fifth annual Smokey Bear Day, Tall Tales Told Round the Campfire and the second annual North Country Trail Fest. Most events are ongoing throughout the summer. Go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/3month.html?jsp=/templates/listing.jsp&k=SPK00181&nd=90&o=startdate# for Itasca's extended calendar.
¥ Historic sites/sites of note: the Mississippi headwaters, Wegmann Store site, Pioneer Cemetery, Indian Cemetery, Bison Kill site, Nicollet Cabin, Old Timer's Cabin, Aiton Heights Fire Tower, Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center, Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center, Lakeside Museum, University of Minnesota Biological Station, Civilian Conservation Corps Plantation and Mary Lake Deer Exclosure. The park offers Historic Buildings Walking Tours.
¥ Other sights: Peace Pipe Vista, Wilderness Drive, the state record red pine, or Norway pine, and one of the state's largest white pines. The red pine stands 120 feet and is believed to be more than 300 years old; the white pine stands 112 feet. Pine forest encases the park.
"I enjoy my job now, but driving into that park and working at that park ... And it all starts with the old-growth pine," Kovacovich said. "There are very few places that have that large of a block of old growth. It's the largest block available in Minnesota outside the Boundary Waters. That's what makes it (Itasca) real special to me."
¥ Camping/lodging: Itasca offers more options than any other Minnesota state park. There are 226 drive-in sites located in two campgrounds, 100 electric sites, four handicapped-accessible sites, 11 backpack sites, 11 cart-in sites (carts are available), the Historic East Cabin, Douglas Lodge, 12 Douglas Lodge cabins, the Clubhouse, a handful of housekeeping cabins, Itasca Suites and the Mississippi Headwaters Hostel (Itasca is the only state park with a hostel, according to the DNR). All are on or near Lake Itasca. There's also the Lake Ozawindib Cabin, located on Lake Ozawindib, a group center on Ozawindib, which accommodates up to 75 campers, and a group camp overlooking Elk Lake, which accommodates up to 50 campers.
According to the DNR, in 2007, Itasca was first among Minnesota state parks in overnight guests with 101,361 (St. Croix was a distant second at 48,170).
"The family connections over time stuck with me of what an important place this is for families," Kovacovich said. "How people connected to the park - an almost spiritual connection, where they had a certain favorite spot in the park."
Besides the headwaters, Lake Itasca was the biggest draw on this mid-June day. It was mostly overcast and cool, but activity at the boat ramp was steady. In the fish cleaning house, just a long-distance cast from the lake and ramp, a handful of pike wriggled in the sink, soon to join a pile of fillets on the tabletop nearby. Just behind the cleaning house, bicyclists sped along the winding bike path toward the headwaters.
Bikes aren't allowed on the short path to the headwaters. So there, at trail's end, bicycles of all size and color lined a makeshift bike rack.
The end of one journey, the beginning of quite another.
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
|
|
Thinking about a New Job?
These employers want you!
|
Loading...
|
|
|
